Chuck M.
Yelp
My wife and I are traveling through Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. A few years ago we had the opportunity to stay at the Foundry and fell in love with it. It's truly a nice hotel, situated close to many of the features which make downtown Asheville a great place to visit. Because of this, we chose to alter our travel and make a side trip specifically to stay at the Foundry.
Prior to our stay, the Foundry reached out to us via email and asked if we wished to take advantage of an upgraded room offer. We replied and accepted the offer. There was an upgrade fee, but we didn't mind paying a little more for the experience.
When we arrived, we learned the hotel was not honoring their upgrade. Mind you, my wife and I are Diamond Hilton members. We're brand loyal. So it was a bit shocking to be told our upgrade wasn't being honored. The staff did attempt to locate a room upgrade, but none were available at that time.
I know this seems trivial and I was reluctant at first to post this, but Hilton should know when their loyal customers don't receive the level of service which has made Hilton a trusted name in the hospitality industry.
Additionally, the day we arrived we decided to treat ourselves to a drink at the hotel bar. One of the drink specials was a gin based drink which was quite spectacular.
My wife had one before we went to dinner. Throughout dinner she spoke of returning to the bar to have another of these drinks. However, when we did return and asked for the drink the bartender, very brusquely, said they were no longer serving that drink. He then walked away. He didn't offer a similar suggestion or ask if there was another drink he could provide, he simply left us standing there. So instead of enjoying our evening and listening to the live music in the lounge, we left. It made it seem as though we were unwelcome.
I'm not saying the actions were malicious, or the staff at the hotel was unpleasant, but the results left us with a bitter experience, one which could have and should have been avoided. Unfortunately, time is the single commodity which can never be reclaimed, so you have to get it right the first time. Because that's the only time.
Now, I don't wish to take away from the beauty, ambiance and location of the hotel. I hope our experience this time was unique. Hopefully, if you choose to visit you'll have an experience like the first time we visited the hotel, not the second. It is a very nice hotel, but this time the staff really missed the mark.
Btw, we did reach out to the staff and were told someone would be contacting us, but never did. This is why I chose this avenue. I'm not looking for any special treatment, only that the staff would have honored their pledge and treated us as they would wish to be treated. I hope this is fair.